Which Jews?
The Vatican and the Rescue of Jews in the Shoah

Even dating back to the Inquistion and beyond, Catholics and Jews both denoted the difference in Conversions made to escape political retribution and capital punishment, and conversions made for real reasons. Since Golgotha, there has been a split between Jews who do not believe Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and those who do. Further, in the history of Anti-Semitism, views regarding the Jews, real conversions, unreal conversions and the disdain in both religions regarding Conversions and the practice of historical Judaism has been eminent.

I.Conversos, Marranos,Practicing Jews and "Zionists"-Definitions
II.Racial vs Religious Concerns for the Vatican
III. Political vs All Concerns for the Vatican
III.The Nuncios of Europe and the Jews
IV.Conversions of Expediency
V. The Conversion of Jewish Children
VI. Who Did the Vatican Actually Help?

I.Conversos, Marranos,Practicing Jews and "zionists"-Definitions

The idea of Jews converting to another 'religion' or way of life is not new, and has been around since the historical beginning of the Jews. Separation issues have figured forefront from the beginning, and The Torah contains many commandments against intermarriage, and worship with those of other beliefs, teaching against the 'polluting' of Judaism with other gods and practices.

Even before early Christians appeared on the scene, concerns of 'hellenization' came into view, with some seeing Greek influence as a positive move towards intellectual integration and others saw it as a great threat to the purity of Judaism. With the advent of Jesus Christ, or Y'shua HaMeschiach, [Jesus the Messiah], the issue of conversion became eminent: Jesus was Jewish, his followers were Jewish, and the community and world to which He came was Jewish. Since the first churches of Jewish believers, some saw the new 'conversions' as the radical fulfillment of true and complete Judaism, while others in the religious hierarchy saw the rapidly spreading faith as dangerous and threatening. Jewish believers in Jesus Christ have always had the most difficult position of believers: they are rejected of the Jewish community and often either rejected or severely misunderstood by the Christian gentile community. Additionally, as history progressed, political expediency of belief or particularly baptism [most often Roman Catholic] was added to the fray, and the genuineness of conversions came into question by both Jews and non-Jews, due to special protections and pardons afforded only those 'baptised' including State and Church positions, notably in the arts, ownership of property, parenthood, and safety from punishments directed towards Jews and heretics. The varieties of conditions are generally divided into :

1. Practicing Jews

2. Converted Jews [conversos]

3. "Marranos" or those Jews who consented to Catholic rituals but inwardly or secretly continued the practice of Judaism, and probably a reasonable fourth category,

4. Jews who are racially or culturally Jews, but do not hold to traditional Judaic beliefs. A fifth category which may overlap the others includes

5. Zionists, or notably politically oriented and zealous Jews, focused upon the preservation of the Jewish people and Israel, although as noted this is not a separate category but a 'focus' with adherents in each of the other categories. Even pro-Israel Christians can be seen under the rubric 'zionist' which refers more to a goal and philosophy of reaching that goal, although many Orthodox Jews have contentions with Zionists over issues of God's Sovereignty vs Man's efforts in obtaining those goals.

Practicing Jews

Practicing Jews may be defined widely as those adhering to the doctrinal tenets of Judaism. The general divisions of Judaism are seen as Reform or Liberal, Conservative, Orthodox and Hasidic, a form of orthodoxy. There is also a recent trend towards 'philosophical' humanistic Judaism, with its roots in the Jewish Enlightenment in which practice and belief are less tied. There are also of course as with most major religions, subdivisions of the divisions. Practicing Jews during the Shoah differed among themselves, and the debate between more Orthodox branches which practiced separation and Torah observance, and the more liberal which felt that Jews should inculturate into contemporary non-Jewish cultures became eminent, and probably contributed at times to less protection for the Jewish community. (See The Jewish Enlightenment and the Shoah) These members of the Jewish community, regardless of widely differing perspectives, continued in their Jewish identities throughout the war, with perhaps momentary exceptions for temporal escapes. They faired of course less well than certain of their counterpoints, although that in part depended early in the war upon whether or not they were of wealth or had some powerful connections, and managed an escape early. Later in the war though, most of the escapes for practicing Jews came from either Jewish relief organizations, or from individuals or resistance groups. While these rescuers saved many, they also put their lives on the line each time they aided refugees, so the numbers of escapes were fewer than the more widely touted Church-aided escapes.

II. Marranos

The word 'marranos' is an old term from Spain and Portugal around the time of the Spanish Inquisition but has remained extant. ¹ It referred to those who converted for political expediency, to stay alive or keep position or property. The Marranos, would comply with outward signs such as rituals, liturgy, icons, and the like but would inwardly maintain their adherence to Judaism, often even worshipping in secret. In the Inquisition, secret worship and judaic practices were outlawed and if a 'convert' was caught in clandestine practice, it could be punishable by death. While not often called 'Marranos' by the general public, the issue of 'expedient baptism' was forefront in the rescue of the Jews in WWII, as Churches used 'conversion' to placate authorities in requesting release and relief for illegally detained Jewish citizens, and especially for children hidden in convents and orphanages by Catholics as their parents were deported. Recent media attention noted that a continuing controversy was involved in the baptizing [pedobaptism]] of Jewish children, as Pius XII declared that the children should not be returned to their parents upon the slim chance of their parents return. The Vatican argued that their interest in the religious education and upbringing of baptised Catholics shadowed the parents rights upon return often with years elapsed.² More will be discussed regarding this issue, and it is dissimilar to include children making professions under unusual circumstances, with adults on both sides understanding political expediency to save lives.^ref2

III.Jews who Did not Profess Judaism

During the beginning years of the 20th century, a spiritual 'revolution' occurred within Judaism in which Jewish influence such as Marx [a professing Lutheran but Jew by birth], Moses Mendelssohn and others such as Sigmund Freud argued for a 'freeing' from religious constraints and the ability of individual Jews to retain Jewish identity but to redefine the meaning of being Jewish. Most often Jews influenced by the Jewish Enlightenment established in part by Spinoza, were Jews involved in academics, intellectualism and the arts who wished greater liberty in observance of the tenets of Judaism, and dismissing separation issues as unnecessary. Sigmund Freud, expressive of one extreme maintained a lifelong synagogue membership and donations to B'nai Brith, but professed openly that he did not believe in God. Mendelssohn [earlier] presented more of a middle position in which he admonished Jews to enculturate, but to hold fast the the faith of their fathers.

Racial vs Political and Religious Views of the Jews

One of the reasons for great confusion over whether the Vatican aided Jews in the Holocaust is based upon tolerance which was based upon RACIAL vs POLITICAL and religious points of view. It is traditionally held by historians, that Vatican policy towards the Jew throughout history has not been kind. Historically, the Jews have been seen as adversaries both from a doctrinal point of view, in which their rejection of Jesus as Messiah is mention, all the way to being guilty of Deicide, or the 'death of God' a misnomer gained from referral to an early letter called Peri Pascha , in which the Bishop of Sardis in which a pleading was made regarding the Jews to return to their God, but which was interpreted afterwards as a call for condemnation for their killing of Christ. [See also The Culpability for Christ's Death]. The Church throughout history had several complaints about their 'elder brothers' the Jews:

Traditional Vatican Issues Regarding the Jews

.II.Racial vs Religious Concerns for the Vatican

One of the greatest confusions in understanding the Vatican's position regarding the Jews in general and during the holocaust, (this is an issue which varies for all Christians as well), is in the division between viewing the Jews as a Racial/Ethnic Group vs viewing the Jews as practicers of Judaism, or in other words, a religious issue. To some degree, this discussion has been problematic to all religions and nations throughout time, because even the Jews have had their own internal debates about where the borders of Jewishness lie. Modern Catholicism, though, and even some historical positions have regarded the Jews as worthy of protection and favor as the 'elder brothers' of Christianity in a racial sense, [albeit 'disinherited'], but are still divorced by views opposed to the Jews on religious grounds.

Part of this division in outlook is understandable and could be seen conversely: the Jews, also do not identify Christianity in general or Vatican views as true to Judaism: while there is often reviling on both sides regarding religious differences, it is partly worthy of the attitude and partly not: our religious differences such as views of Messiah and issues of liturgy and practice separate us: this is understandable. What instigates Anti-Semitic attitudes or even Anti-Christian attitudes goes beyond the realm of doctrine and into personal approaches to dealing with differences. One can be tolerant on either side without compromise. What clouds the issue of hateful attitudes based upon doctrinal and religious boundaries is one of 'agreeing to disagree' vs is one of actions and world views: for some the differences are held in a delicate balance until the fulfillment of all things [Mystery of the Jews, e.g.], but for others on either side, either position is seen as enmity. The second position unfortunately often prevails, is that because Vatican and some Christian doctrine seems to disavow the Jew, and because for centuries those differences have been met with violence and prejudice, including genocide, that those religious differences create enmity which is difficult to reconcile.

Understanding this fine distinction, makes it a little easier to address whether the Vatican aided the Jews, and if so, which Jews, under which circumstances. Jews who were converted to Catholicism willingly before or during the war, at least in the beginning were seen as practicing Catholics who could be helped under the auspices of their religious 'protectorate' the Catholic Church. However, before the war was over, the Third Reich had pronounced some severe restrictions on what the Reich considered a Jew, including Converts and what the Vatican did. The Third Reich defined Jews almost entirely by racial characteristics, the measures and definitions of which were formally set forth and 'diagnosed' as one would a disease. [See Eugenics] The practice of religious Judaism was also prohibited eventually, including those married or related to Jewish persons. In 19.. the Reich put pressure on Catholic pastors to either separate or deny the Sacrament of Holy Communion to Jewish Converts, even of long standing. In a number of German Catholic Churches, Jewish converts were forced to take a separate communion during the same service, and some were not allowed to kneel at a front altar rail. ³ As the war progressed, and depending on the country, even the converted Jews lost special protection of the Vatican under occupation. It is interesting to note, that among the concessions the Vatican made in some areas, was to allow Hitler's men input in the choosing of Bishops and even nuncios, and this was often a condition of Vatican presence under occupation. The division in then Czechoslavakia was an example of this. ⁴

Race Vs Religion

All of the above descriptions lead to the basic criteria and typology of anti-semitism which at least on the surface divided the National Socialists and the Vatican. Since the early 1920s, the Roman Catholic Church like many of its protestant counterparts had attended to issues of racial prejudice, and much of the concern was focused on the US and other prominent areas around the world. In Rome at the time, there was more than discussion. The Jesuit priest, LaFarge, whose father was a noted painter, had risen early in his career to eminence, writing particularly in the area of Catholic approaches to race, although he dealt mostly with Afro-American issues. It was LaFarge and three others who helped draft what is called the "hidden encyclical", the document [Humanitas Generus Unum] which some give little credibility to and others feel that it would have caused a significant turn in post-Berlin Concordat issues in standing against unwarranted Nazi changes in concessions. Ledochowski the then Jesuit general, intercepted the document which lay on the desk of Pius XI on the day of his death. Pius XI 's sudden and questioned death, resulted in the disappearance of the document and its influence of strong objection to Nazi racial policies and definitions, and Pius XII quickly took office, completing his directive to his former comrades in Berlin to "leave the German question to him".

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REFERENCES

¹Wiesenthal, S. Sails of Hope
²Shoaheducation.com: Holocaust in the News: "Vatican Letter Regarding Non-return of Jewish Children Controversial: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/10545261.htm
^ref1Pedobaptism is the theological term used to denote baby baptism from the root pedo (child) and baptism which comes from the word 'baptizo' and refers to a total immersion or overwhelming. It is controversial even among Christians as most fundamental Christians consider the infant incapable of choice and willing belief, and instead hold 'infant dedications' parallel to the dedication of Jesus in the Temple, while others, such as orthodox Presbyterians and Catholics hold it to be a legitimate baptism in which the promise of salvation by choice in inherent in the infant baptism. The Catholic Church additionally sees one of its main functions as the education and training of Catholics, so that they do not err from Vatican teachings, so the conflict arose when parents who willing [or without knowledge] had their Jewish children placed in orphanages returned after suffering the camps to their one joyous expectation of reunion with their children, were met by caretakers unwilling to entrust Catholic upbringing to Jewish parents. It has caused bad blood ever since, and a decided unwillingness to leave children with non-Jews in future crises.

³1Zuccotti, Susan Under his Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy: New Haven: Yale U Press, 2000
⁴2Morley, J. Vatican Diplomacy and the Jews during the Holocaust: 1939-1943;
^ref2The Vatican has always held then and now that no baptisms were of political expediency, and in several cases had their nuncios answer to their attended nations assuring them of this, often setting certain safeguards in place such as lengthy new convert classes and catechisms. However in several cases, large numbers of Jews were baptised giving them the protectorate of the nunciatures. This is in conjunction with the difficulty the Nazis had with 'converted Jews', and in Germany and other occupied areas, Jews, even converted were to be seen as racial Jews before issues of religion, so that enacted laws allowed converted Jews to be treated the same as nonconverts.